Feathers and Fuzz

one woman's cure for the empty-nester blues

Feathers

Caroline Wrens: Deep in the Floral Jungle

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Well, I found the May nesting site of the Carolina Wrens -- Deep in the Floral Jungle.  As I was watering the flowers in the pictured pot, Momma Wren shot out of the foliage.  Who knows how many times I have watered her nest this past week!  Inside the nest cup are six eggs.  I am VERY happy to report -- all six are Wren eggs.

Wren Nest May 2018
Wren Nest May 2018

I should have known the Wrens would nest close to the mealworm feeders.  In their current location, they are about half way between the two feeding stations on the second floor terrace.  Unlike Momma Finch, who flees every time I walk out on the terrace, Momma Wren in totally undaunted by my comings and my goings.  I did note, however, that turning on the hose now elicits a rapid exit from the nest.  No need to wonder why.

Wren Pot

Return of the Red-headed Woodpecker

Even more exciting (to me) than the discovery of the Wren nest, was the return of the Red-headed Woodpecker.  S/he has been absent from the property for two years -- a disappearance I link to having mounted an umbrella over the tray to stop the rain from soaking the bird seed.  I accepted that the umbrella scared him away.

Red-headed and Downy

I think the Red-headed Woodpecker's beauty ranks up there with the Flicker.  Although nowhere near as colorful as the Flicker, there's just something about the richness of the red/black/white of the Red-headed.  Even in the photos, he almost appears painted with the dense, unshaded colors of his feathers.

Red-headed - May 2018

Note in the photo with the suet log, a male Downy is also feeding.  Interesting to see these two woodpeckers side-by-side ... once again highlighting how tiny the Downy is.

White-breasted Nuthatch: Big and Bad

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There’s nothing like watching the antics of the White-breasted Nuthatch to lift one’s spirits.  This year I started putting live mealworms out where the tray feeder is.  Napoleon was pretty sure every worm was for him.  He perches in a nearby tree as I pour in the worms and, true to his bold form, dives into the worm cup while I stand right there.  I hear the Carolina Chickadee — scolding me, from a distance, to step away.  The Eastern Bluebirds and Tufted Titmice line up on the tree branches.  Nervously, and quietly, they wait for my departure.  Napoleon joyfully feasts.

In the feature video, Napoleon puts on his Big-and-Bad display at the worm feeder — doing his very best to scare off the much-larger, male Northern Cardinal.